The Los Angeles Kings are collecting wins almost like the way monarchs do to taxes in ancient times. They are on a roll and looking to stretch their undefeated run to five games when they pay Alberta a visit Monday to play the Calgary Flames, who have been cold of late.  With that said, let’s now take a look at our NHL odds series for this Kings-Flames showdown.

Here are the Oilers-Flames NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NHL Odds: Kings-Flames Odds

Los Angeles Kings: +1.5 (-172)

Calgary Flames: -1.5 (+138)

Over: 6.0 (-120)

Under: 6.0 (-102)

Why The Kings Could Cover The Spread

The Kings have been connecting one royal flush after another on the ice over their past few outings. They have gone undefeated in their last four games, a stretch that includes their 4-3 victory at home over the Detroit Red Wings. In fact, all of their last most recent four wins happened in La La Land, but they will look to carry their form into their first road game in a while. The last time Los Angeles played as visitors, they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in Windy City on Nov. 3, 2-1 (overtime). Los Angeles’ strong puck possession so far this season is paying big dividends for the Kings, who are seventh in the NHL with a 52.9 CF%.

Offensively, their accuracy with their shots and quality of shot attempts are both making life hard for their opponents and mostly explain why the Kings are pocketing victories in close games. They usually have the edge in putting themselves in a position to score goals when it matters the most. On the season, Los Angeles is fourth in the league on 5-on-5 shooting percentage (8.8%) and also fifth with a 38.2 5-on-5 expected goals for. There could be more goals in store this Monday for the Kings against the Flames’ defense which has had its moments but has undeniably allowed a total of 20 goals in Calgary’s last six games. Calgary has also surrendered four goals in three of those contests.

The Kings’ second line consisting of Trevor Moore, Phillip Danault, and Viktor Arvidsson has been particularly terrific so far this season. Among offensive lines with at least 50 minutes on the ice together, the triumvirate of Moore-Danault-Arvidsson is fifth overall in expected goals for (8.3) and 18th in expected goals rate (61.9%). The Kings are 5-1 in their last six games after taking one day of rest and 4-1 in their last five following a victory.

Why The Flames Could Cover The Spread

The Flames finally stopped their lengthy losing streak in a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets at home last Saturday. Prior to that, Calgary was caught in an extremely frustrating seven-game winless skid that saw the Flames lose five one-score contests, including two that went beyond regulation time. Against the Jets, Calgary goalie Jacob Markstrom had a solid performance between the pipes, stopping 21 of 23 shots faced. He will be patrolling the crease anew this Monday for the Flames, carrying a 5-3-2 record and a 2.99 GA/G. He owns a mediocre .895 SV% but he could also be just rounding into the form he had last season. Teams also seem to be getting a bit luckier this season when up against Calgary, as the Flames have the second-lowest 5-on-5 expected goals against (25.3) in the league.

Back in the 2021-22 NHL season, Markstrom went 37-15-0 with a 2.22 GA/G and .922 SV% across 63 total starts. Speaking of returning to optimal form, the Flames, as a team, could also be getting there, as they only have a 97.9 PDO so far this season. Perhaps Calgary can get extra offense on the man advantage versus the Kings. While the Flames are just having success on the power play 18.75 percent of the time, the Kings’ special teams do seem to be playing poorly enough to let middling power-play attacks continue to shine. Los Angeles’ penalty kill is in the bottom 10 in the NHL, solving just 75.55 percent of opposing PPs. In addition to that, the Kings have allowed the second-most power play goals this season. (Only the Edmonton Oilers have more.)

The top line consisting of Adam Ruzicka, Elias Lindholm, and Tyler Toffoli has combined for 11 goals and 12 assists this season, while the second line features Nazem Kadri at center who leads the Flames with seven goals to go with five helpers. Calgary has won eight of its last nine games on a Monday, so the Flames might just have another terrific start to a new week.

Final Kings-Flames Prediction & Pick

Overall, the Kings are playing much better hockey than Calgary, and even though they are the visiting team in this matchup, they should be able to bring the fight to the Flames. Los Angeles is 4-3-1 in road games this season and has covered the puck line five times in those contests. The Flames, on the other hand, are a poor 2-8 against the puck line this season as the home team. Taking the Kings both ML and spread.

Final Kings-Flames Prediction & Pick: Kings +1.5 (-172)